NWIRP to receive national recognition

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) announced that it will receive the 2009 Daniel Levy Award from the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild at a reception on Thursday, October 16 in Seattle. This national award comes on the heels of a separate recognition of NWIRP by the City of Seattle and King County for the organization’s work on behalf of immigrant survivors of domestic violence. The two recognitions come as NWIRP celebrates 25 years of service to the immigrant community in Washington State.

Jorge L. Barón, executive director of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, released the following statement: “We appreciate the recognition of our work at both the national and local levels. The National Immigration Project (NIP) is a valued partner and an important asset to those who are defending the rights of immigrants in this country. Our being honored by NIP with the Daniel Levy Award is an important affirmation of our work. We are also humbled by the recognition of our work on behalf of immigrant survivors of domestic violence by the City of Seattle and King County. We appreciate the leadership of city and county officials in recognizing the importance of removing barriers to safety for immigrant survivors of violence. We look forward to a continued partnership with local government in order to strengthen our communities.”
In its announcement of the selection of NWIRP for the award, the National Immigration Project released the following statement: “Northwest Immigrant Rights Project truly exemplifies Daniel Levy’s vision of a collective, creative and socially conscious approach to advocacy in immigration law. The National Immigration Project is proud to honor the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project for their work in defending the rights of immigrant workers in Washington State and elsewhere.”

Established in 1980, the National Immigration Project (NIP) is a national membership organization of lawyers, law students, legal workers, and jailhouse lawyers working to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants in the United States. The Daniel Levy Award was established by NIP in 2002 to honor the memory and work of Daniel Levy, a former staff attorney of the National Immigration Law Center and a tireless advocate on behalf of immigrant and civil rights. Each year, NIP recognizes an organization or team that exemplifies Daniel Levy’s creative, collective and socially conscious approach to advocacy in the immigration law field.
The recognition of NWIRP by the City of Seattle and King County came during an event at the Columbia Center on Tuesday, October 13. The recognition was presented to Executive Director Jorge L. Barón and Attorney Angélica Cházaro by Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin

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Northwest Immigrant Rights Project promotes justice for low-income immigrants by pursuing and defending their legal status. We focus on providing direct legal services, supported by our education and public policy work. NWIRP is the only entity in the list of “Free Legal Services” that is given to individuals placed in removal (aka deportation) proceedings in Washington State.